Raman scattering study of molten alkali-metal molybdates ricn in MoO3

Raman scattering spectroscopy has been used to study the melting behavior and structure of Mo-O complexes alkali-metal molybdates rich in MoO3: Li4Mo5O17, K2Mo3O10, and M2Mo4O13 (M = Li, Na, K). The complex structure of the anion motif in these molybdates, made up of edge-sharing [MoO6] octahedra, transforms on melting into short chains of [MoO4] tetrahedra. We discuss the general trends in the variation of the chain structure of the anion motif in melts across the series of alkali-metal molybdates as the MoO3 concentration increases from mono- to tetramolybdate compositions.